Social justice for traditional knowledge holders will help conserve Europe's nature

Abstract

Biodiversity of European cultural landscapes is threatened by land abandonment and intensification. While the conservation benefits of traditional management practices have been long acknowledged, recognition of traditional knowledge started only recently in Europe. Respect for the holders of traditional knowledge (TK holders) themselves lags even more behind, often leading to social injustices. Social injustices towards TK holders span from disrespect and misrepresentation, invisibility, misunderstanding, economic and political vulnerability, unethical collaborations, rights violations, disconnection, uncontextualized education to lack of inclusivity – leading to neglect of TK holders in conservation science, policy and practice. Resolving these social injustices would benefit both people and nature. Benefits of resolving injustices include better cooperation in conservation management, mutual understanding, improved representation and participation, increased respect, economic and legal security, strengthened land stewardship, better tradition-based conservation innovations, and more appropriate management regulations. Best practices are presented to inspire ways to foster recognition for TK holders and their knowledge, worldviews and values, promote the inclusion of plurality of values and voices in the media and school curricula, encourage meaningful participatory decision making, mobilise strategies to re-design and decolonize financial support mechanisms, decrease bureaucratic loads, and promote TK holder-led conservation activities. Supporting TK holders and keeping traditional land management practices alive should be considered as a social justice imperative of great strategic importance for long-term social-ecological resilience in Europe.